Martinsried, Germany (SPX) Nov 22, 2021 Fear is essential for survival, but must be well regulated to avoid harmful behaviors such as panic attacks or exaggerated risk taking. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have now demonstrated in mice that the brain relies on the body’s feedback to regulate fear. The brain’s insular cortex strongly reacts to stimuli signaling danger. However, when the … Continue reading The brain uses bodily signals to regulate fear

Saint-Laurent Du Maroni/Amazon, France (AFP) Nov 18, 2021 Deep in the jungle in France’s overseas territory of French Guiana, the army is engaged in a battle of attrition with illegal gold miners who have destroyed thousands of hectares of precious Amazon rainforest. French Guiana, about the size of Portugal on the north shore of South America and almost completely covered in forest, has a long … Continue reading French army hunts illegal gold miners wrecking Amazon as deforestation soars

Paris (ESA) Nov 19, 2021 The US State of Washington is under a state of emergency following days of severe wind and rain leading to extensive flooding in parts of the state. The extreme weather was caused by an atmospheric river, a huge plume of moisture extending over the Pacific and into Washington. Different satellites in orbit carry different instruments that can provide us with … Continue reading Washington state flooding

Washington DC (SPX) Nov 19, 2021 Genomics England, a government owned company, recently announced a pilot programme of whole genome sequencing to screen for genetic diseases in 200,000 healthy seeming newborns. But should every newborn baby have their whole genome sequenced? Experts debate the issue in The BMJ today. Extensive clinical evidence has shown that screening for genetic diseases saves lives, and researchhttp://dlvr.it/SCpHz7 Continue reading Should all babies have their genome sequenced at birth?

Bonn, Germany (SPX) Nov 19, 2021 After the natural warming that followed the last Ice Age, there were repeated periods when masses of icebergs broke off from Antarctica into the Southern Ocean. A new data-model study led by the University of Bonn (Germany) now shows that it took only a decade to initiate this tipping point in the climate system, and that ice mass loss … Continue reading Antarctic ice-sheet destabilized within a decade

Nairobi (AFP) Nov 18, 2021 The United States on Thursday threw its support behind negotiations on a treaty to curb plastic pollution, ending a key holdup in international efforts to clean up the planet’s oceans and save marine life. On a visit to the United Nations Environment Programme in Nairobi, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States would back talks in the Kenyan … Continue reading US throws support behind treaty to curb plastic

Marketing and business communications company R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company has released a study which reveals that traditional marketing channels, including word of mouth, direct mail, and in-store signage, are largely untapped and underestimated by marketers. The research uncovers significant differences between marketer assumptions and what consumers actually say influences their brand awareness and purchase decisions.http://dlvr.it/SCpHXl Continue reading Marketers Underestimate Word of Mouth, Overestimate Influencers: Report

San Francisco CA (SPX) Nov 18, 2021 Planet, a leading provider of near-daily high-resolution data and insights about Earth, has announced a collaboration with its partner New Light Technologies Inc. (NLT) to provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) imagery to support enhanced situational awareness for effective disaster response. Emergency managers require up-to-date information throughout the lifecycle of an ihttp://dlvr.it/SCkg6d Continue reading Planet and New Light Technologies deliver disaster imagery to FEMA

Beijing (AFP) Nov 17, 2021 Nearly two years into a pandemic that has seen China pursue some of the world’s most stringent coronavirus measures, some grumbling has started to emerge over the strategy, particularly as other nations learn to live with the virus. The zero-Covid approach is unrelenting – with border closures, targeted lockdowns and mass testing triggered sometimes by just one case. The cost … Continue reading Fatigue and frustration as China presses strict zero-Covid strategy

Beijing (AFP) Nov 17, 2021 Strict new Covid-19 restrictions come into force in Beijing on Wednesday for visitors to the Chinese capital, requiring negative tests and dramatically cutting domestic flights as the city raises the drawbridge against the coronavirus ahead of the Winter Olympics. With less than 100 days to go to the games in February, China is bracing for a challenge to its zero-Covid … Continue reading Beijing tightens Covid-19 entry rules ahead of Olympics